Published on Thursday, 17 September 2026 at 2:37:54 PM
Every summer, the properties that come through a fire event best are the ones that were prepared months earlier. This page sets out what's required in the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, when it's required by, and the support available to help you get there.
Free green waste drop-off: 15 September to 15 November 2026
For two months, green waste disposal fees at the Bridgetown Waste Facility are waived.
This is a deliberate measure to remove cost as a barrier to fire preparation. The restricted burning period begins on 15 November, and this window gives every property owner in the district two months to clear fuel from their property without a disposal charge.
Opening hours: TIP HOURS
Accepted free of charge: branches, prunings, limbs, leaves, bark, grass clippings and slashings, stumps and roots, woody weeds
Not accepted as green waste: treated or milled timber, soil, rubble, building waste, general household rubbish, waste in plastic bags
Loads mixed with non-green waste will be charged at the standard rate. Please separate before you load.
Standard green waste fees resume on 16 November 2026.
What's required on your property
Your obligations come from the Shire's annual Firebreak and Fuel Hazard Reduction Notice, issued under section 33 of the Bush Fires Act 1954. Compliance is required from 15 November 2026.
Firebreaks
Where required, firebreaks must be:
- 3m wide, cleared to 4m high
- Trafficable - a fire appliance must be able to physically drive the break. Stumps, washouts, overhanging branches and narrow gates all make a break non-compliant
- Located PERIMETER RULE
- Maintained in that condition for the full period covered by the Notice
Lots under 5,000m²
Firebreaks are generally not required. Instead, SMALL LOT RULE - in practice, the entire property maintained with grass below 100mm, including verges and side setbacks.
Fuel hazard reduction
Separate to firebreaks, and required on all properties:
- Gutters, roof valleys and eaves cleared of leaves and debris
- Ground fuel - dead leaves, bark, twigs, fallen limbs - removed from around buildings
- Grass and stubble maintained below 100mm
- Firewood, mulch, timber and flammable materials stored away from buildings and boundaries
- Low branches pruned to break the fuel ladder between ground level and tree canopy
- Access maintained for emergency vehicles, including turnaround space
Water and access
Where a water source is nominated on your property, it must be accessible to a fire appliance and fitted with a standard outlet connection.
Ranger inspections from 15 November
Ranger Services will inspect properties across the district from 15 November 2026. The process is staged, and it's designed to give property owners a genuine chance to comply.
Step 1 - Inspection. Your property is assessed against the Notice.
Step 2 - Caution. If the property doesn't comply, you'll receive a written caution setting out specifically what needs to be addressed, and a reasonable period to do it.
Step 3 - Infringement. If the work isn't completed within that period, an infringement of INFRINGEMENT AMOUNT may be issued under the Bush Fires Act 1954. Serious or repeat non-compliance may be prosecuted, with penalties up to MAX PENALTY.
Step 4 - Works in default. Where a property remains non-compliant, the Shire may engage a contractor to carry out the necessary work and recover the full cost from the property owner. Contractor rates for this work are commercial rates and are typically substantially higher than the cost of arranging the work yourself.
We would prefer never to reach step three. If you're unsure about your property, or you can't complete the work for any reason, contact Ranger Services before 15 November on (08) 9761 0800 or ranger@bridgetown.wa.gov.au
If you can't do the work yourself
We recognise that not every property owner is able to carry out this work. If you're elderly, unwell, living away from the district, or facing a job larger than you can manage, please get in touch early.
Contact Ranger Services on (08) 9761 0800 or ranger@bridgetown.wa.gov.au to talk through what's actually required on your property, and for information about contractors operating in the district.
Contractors book out quickly through October and November. Being unable to secure one at short notice is not a defence to non-compliance, so please make arrangements early.
Absentee owners and rental properties
Obligations under the Notice sit with the registered owner of the land, regardless of who occupies it. This includes vacant blocks, investment properties, deceased estates and land held for future development.
Cautions and infringements are issued to the registered owner at the address held on the rates record. If your postal address has changed, please update it with the Shire.
Key dates
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Date
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What happens
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15 September 2026
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Free green waste drop-off begins
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15 November 2026
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Properties must comply with the Firebreak and Fuel Hazard Reduction Notice
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15 November 2026
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Free green waste period ends; restricted burning period begins; Ranger inspections commence
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16 November 2026
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Standard green waste fees resume
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Contact
Ranger Services, Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes
Phone: (08) 9761 0800 · Email: ranger@bridgetown.wa.gov.au
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